Kymeta and Sharp Partner to Manufacture Low-cast Antennas
August 18, 2015
Kymeta Corporation and SHARP Corporation announced a
development agreement to design products that will pave the way
for cost-effective mobile satellite communications. Under the
agreement, SHARP will use its liquid crystal display production
technology to manufacture Kymeta’s new flat-panel satellite
antenna, allowing both companies to create new opportunities for
the satellite communications industry.
Kymeta antennas use liquid crystal-based metamaterials to
solve one of the satellite industry’s longest-standing technical
challenges: the need for lightweight, slim and efficient
antennas that use software to electronically point and steer
towards a satellite, eliminating the need for costly and
cumbersome mechanical steering equipment and allowing for rapid
setup and installation.
Enabled by Kymeta’s mTenna™ technology, this suite of
antennas uses a first-of-its-kind, glass-on-glass design concept
that leverages the same components and manufacturing processes
as SHARP’s existing flat-panel display production lines. This
means that SHARP can manufacture the Kymeta antennas using its
existing production capabilities and, with little or no
modification, produce electronically scanned antennas for mobile
satellite communications.
“Three years of intensive collaboration with SHARP have led
us to a product design that can be manufactured utilizing
SHARP’s existing production capabilities. This is an important
moment for Kymeta. By using a production technology that is
already widely deployed in consumer devices, with over $250
billion of industry-wide investment in infrastructure and R&D,
we will be able to mass-produce antennas on a scale previously
unattainable,” said Dr. Nathan Kundtz, CEO of Kymeta. “Sharp is
an excellent partner for Kymeta because of its history and
culture of innovation and releasing excellent products.”
“We have over 40 years of experience bringing high-quality
liquid crystal displays to consumers,” said Atsushi Ban,
division general manager of the Display Device Development
Division of Sharp Corporation. “Working with Kymeta, we’re able
to create antennas thin and light enough to bring entertainment
and connectivity to wherever our customers are.”
